question about school nursing

Published

today i was sent by an agency to do substitute school nursing at a charter school for grades k-8{400 students} in the school log form i see the nurses were giving cepacol for sore throat and cough drops for coughing [halls} they also gave tylenol for pain if they asked the caregivers permission. i asked about those things to administration who stated do what u think is right. i did not give any meds at all if they c/o sore throat or coughing but directed them to rinse ang gargle with warm h2o[ no saline available]. what would u do in this situation? i was sick of teachers sending kids down for cough drops without letting me assess them first. the students stated the nurse would just hand them to them, no questions asked. could there be legal implications for that? also one mistake i think i made was not calling a parent when her son had a nosebleed, even though it stopped bleeding after 1 minutes, assessed him, he was fine, first aid done. sorry for the long post. i got no orientation other than a nurse calling me yesterday for 5 min to tell me she gives tylenol with permission, no time to ask other questions

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I believe it is wrong for your agency and the school to put you in this situation without some sort of orientation. There are laws governing how anyone, including nurses, can care for kids. I think you did the right things. Even with the nosebleed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

In my state I can not, as a school nurse, give any meds without an order - this includes cough drops and tylenol. Granted, i have things like caladryl and bacitracin on hand but i also have standing orders for them to use along with treatment interventions. If i was in your situation i would not have given any meds i didn't have orders for.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, School Nursing, & Community Health.

In my area school nurses are contracted to be in schools by the health department. We have standing orders for things such as tylenol, benadryl, tums, ibuprofen, etc. All can be given with signed parental permission.

I would definitely clarify these things before you filled in at that school again.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion